Allergy Tests

Allergy Tests are processes done to ascertain which specific substance is responsible for your allergic problem.

The actual process employed will hinge on the type of Allergy under consideration, it may involve Skin Tests or Blood Tests or maybe a supervised diet, or any combination of these tests.

Allergy Tests should only be undertaken by qualified medical personnel. The opening move is to visit your physician. The physician will firstly write down your medical record if they do not know it. They will then find out what symptoms you have, when you started to get them and what medicine or remedies you have taken. This is done to get an idea of exactly what Allergy you may be suffering from.

The chief trouble confronted by your physician will be that you could be affected by several Allergies at once because your immune system is weakened. So it might be essential to do a range of Allergy Tests prior to determining the main culprit or culprits. For instance you may be allergic to gluten but you may also be an asmatic.

You may be asked to stop taking some or all medicines for a few days before the tests as some medicines (i.e - antihistamines and antidepressants) interrupt the accuracy of the test findings. Allergy Tests should only be undertaken by certified medical practitioners who are schooled to look for and handle any allergic responses that might happen during the testing process. The list below is an outline of the common Allergy Tests available.

Allergy Skin Prick Test
- A droplet of liquid (allergen extract) is laid on your forearm or your upper back and the skin below the droplet is pricked with a tiny needle to allow the allergen to get into the skin. It is not uncommon to have up to 12 different droplets in a test. If a confirming response happens, it tends to appear like a red rash or a mosquito insect bite.
- Responses are distinctly seen usually inside 20 minutes.
- Skin tests can be a little uncomfortable for a few folks.
- Skin tests work on all age groups from the young to the old.
- They're fast and really precise.

Allergy Patch Test
- Generally utilised to look into skin allergies to essences like perfumes, scents, lotions, soaps, jewellery metals, cosmetics and even plants. An adhesive material strip is put on to your back. The strip can carry extracts from up to a dozen different substances. Responses to any of the extracts can take up to a week. Any confirming responses will come out as a red rash.
- Your physician may get you back in for a checkups during the testing period to check any reactions.

Allergy Blood (RAST) Tests
- Normally performed if you are not able to take a Skin Prick Test. Some samples of your blood are taken and they are sent for away for testing.
- Your results may not be back to your physician for over a week.
- The results tend to be less accurate than those from a skin prick test.

Supervised Allergy Diet
- Utilized extensively for ascertaining food Allergies. The most commonly employed diet for food Allergy screens is a supervised elimination diet. Elimination diets can include beginning with a strict diet. This means specifically avoiding the common food items (i.e wheat, peanuts, dairy products etc) that have already been discovered as basic causes of food allergy. Doing this will get you to a state devoid of your normal Allergy symptoms.
- After that, different foods are added to your diet, one at a time, until the symptoms come back. The whole process is supervised and every step recorded showing what new foods were introduced and what reaction if any happened.
- The elimination diet test can take a few weeks, though may go a bit longer. It will depend on the individual patient and what results were achieved.
- Elimination diet tests must only be undertaken under medical supervision.

When the cause or causes of your allergy has/have been identified your physician will recommend the best Allergy Treatment for your situation.

Don't forget, it's also your job to adopt measures to minimize exposure to your Allergy. For further information on available treatments read our Allergy Treatment page.